You Were There For Me
by J.P. D'Osty-Fernandez
Summary: My interpretation of how Casey will handle Liv's upcoming attack and injury. Rated T for language.


**You Were There For Me**

**-by J.P. D'Osty-Fernandez**

**-dedicated to all police officers who have been injured in the line of duty, and, as ever, to Diane Neal, the wonderful young actress who brings Casey Novak to life.**

**Standard Disclaimer: The SVU characters belong to Dick Wolf. All the other characters are mine.**

Casey and Munch burst into the hospital corridor outside the operating room.

"There they are!" Casey said to Munch the moment she saw Elliot, Fin and Cragen at the end of the corridor, just before the doors of the OR. Cragen's back was to them. Fin was talking to a uniformed officer. Elliot was leaning against the wall to the right of the doors, looking down at the floor.

Casey and Munch pushed their way through a noisy, dark blue sea of NYPD officers to get to their co-workers.

Fin caught them in the corner of his eye. He turned to Cragen and Elliot.

"Here's Casey and Munch."

Cragen turned. Elliot did not seem to hear.

Casey gave Cragen a hug, as Munch and Fin put their hands on each other's shoulders. Then, Casey turned to Elliot.

"Elliot…" The name came out softly, tentatively, but loud enough to get Elliot's attention.

Elliot stood straight and embraced Casey in a bear hug. Casey reciprocated, matching the power of Elliot's arms. They stood there for a few moments. Elliot began to tremble.

"That's okay, buddy!" said Casey. "Just let it out!"

"N-No…I'm alright…" muttered Elliot in response.

"Hang on a sec, will you?" Casey asked as she gave Elliot one more tight squeeze before she gently broke the embrace.

Elliot mumbled something monosyllabic and almost inaudible amidst all the noise.

Casey turned to the sea of uniformed officers, brought her right hand up to her mouth, put her thumb and ring finger to her lips and cut loose a whistle loud and piercing enough to cause the dogs of the Maryland State Police K-9 unit to howl in agony. A sudden silence overtook the hallway.

"People!" barked Casey "Thank you all for coming. But does there need to be that many of you right here? How about we give these detectives some space?"

"That's right, guys!" Cragen picked up on the cue. "Back it up a bit. Those of you that don't need to be here, thanks, but your sectors aren't getting any safer."

After a few minutes, the crowd thinned out.

"Thanks for coming, Counselor." said Cragen.

"Hey! Aren't you and Munch supposed to be in court?" asked Fin.

"I got a continuance as soon as John told me what happened."

"Terhune gave you one? And the defence agreed?" asked a confused Cragen.

"The alternative was my foot shoved someplace uncomfortable, so they didn't really have a choice in the matter."

This elicited a smirk from Fin, a chuckle from Munch and a blink from Cragen.

"Elliot!" snapped Casey. The other detectives turned to face him.

Elliot had sagged and began to fall back against the wall. Fin grabbed his right arm, Casey his left.

"There some chairs just over there." pointed out Casey. "Why don't we…"

Fin and Casey led a limp Elliot to the chairs and sat him down. Munch and Cragen followed. Then, Casey gently stroked Elliot's arm.

"Talk to me, Elliot!" softly commanded Casey.

"It's all my fault…we were there…the perp…came out of nowhere…I hit him…"

Elliot caught his breath.

"Oh, hell! I didn't mirandise him. I'm sorry, Casey—"

"That's alright, Elliot! I'm not worried about that now. I'm not here as an ADA. I'm here as your friend and Liv's friend."

Elliot looked Casey in the eye. His were misting up.

"Thanks…"

A tear ran down his cheek. Then the trickle became a downpour.

Casey squeezed Elliot's arm. Elliot clumsily brought his forearm up and tried to reciprocate Casey's touch. Casey took Elliot in her arms, and buried his face on her right shoulder.

"It's all my fault! It's all my fault! Oh, God what am I going to do?"

"You're doing good, buddy!" said Casey "You're doing good! Just let it out. You've been carrying all of this inside for too long. Just let it out!"

Elliot wailed for a few more minutes. Fin looked down. Munch looked away, Cragen silently and slowly exhaled. Casey stroked Elliot's back.

Slowly, Elliot began to regain control of himself. He gave Casey a squeeze.

"I…I'm okay…now."

"Good!" commented Casey. Slowly, gently, she relaxed her hug on Elliot. Then she reached inside her coat pocket and gave Elliot a tissue. After he finished wiping his eyes, she took his hand in hers.

"Elliot," began Casey. "Liv is going to make it. She's a fighter. Just like you."

"Thanks…"

Casey held on to Elliot's hand a little longer.

"'I'm here as your friend and Liv's friend!'" snorted Munch in a sardonic tone "Gee, thanks for letting the rest of us know where we stand, Counselor."

"Yeah!" chimed in Fin "Is this a Black thing?"

That finally brought the semblance of a smile to Elliot's face.

"Aww, poor little Munch and Fin!" responded Casey in a mocking voice, sounding as if she were talking to two petulant three year olds. "What? Did Mommy forget to cut the crust off your PB&J sandwich again?"

"More like Mommy forgot to put the doobies in their lunch bags." observed Cragen.

This elicited a laugh from Elliot.

Casey turned to him and gave him a smile.

"It's really good to know you, Casey!" declared Elliot, as he put a hand on Casey's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Thanks, Elliot! It's good to know you too."

A serious look came across Casey's eyes.

"And, don't worry, we'll GET this son of a million fathers!"

A very angry Arthur Branch burst into Casey's office, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

"Casey what the HELL do you think you're DOING?"

Casey looked up at Branch with Bambi eyes.

"Uhh…eating some moo-shoo pork…want some?"

"Don't be a smartass, young lady! You're in a helluva heap of trouble as it is!"

"I am?"

"YES, you ARE! What the HELL were you thinking asking for the death penalty for this perp without asking me first? That is MY call, and MY call alone!"

Casey kept on looking at Branch, her face expressionless.

"Is that all?" she asked after a moment's silence and of a thoroughly red-faced Branch looking like he was about to explode.

"NO, DAMMIT, that is NOT ALL! If your blatant insubordination wasn't enough, you tell John Augustus Smith—one of the most respected attorneys in this city AND a major contributor to my and the Mayor's campaigns—to stick his offer 'where the tulips don't grow!'"

Casey said nothing.

"Well, would you care to say anything?" asked Branch after a minute.

"Yes…your description of John Augustus Smith is incomplete."

"Wha-WHAAAAAAAAAT?"

""You said he is 'one of the most respected attorneys in this city AND a major contributor.' You should have said 'he is one of the most respected attorneys in this city AND a major contributor who is defending a scumbag who attacked and hospitalised a police officer.' "

"Oh OOOHHH! I GET it! This is PERSONAL, is that it?"

"No…I would do the same thing for any animal who attacks a police."

"And the fact that Detective Benson is a close friend never entered into it!"

"Nope! Never crossed my mind."

The look in Branch's eyes could have cut through twenty feet of tungsten.

"That's IT! I am pulling you off this case."

"No, you aren't."

Branch brought up an angry finger and shoved it almost into Casey's face.

"Don't tempt me to fire you! You are just THIS CLOSE!"

"Are you done yelling and screaming?"

A flabbergasted Branch could not muster the presence of mind to respond.

"Because **_I_** have some yelling and screaming of MY OWN!"

Branch blinked in amazement.

"I have put up with all your political crap this year. You made me eat dirt with all these cases because of your agenda. But NO MORE!"

A stunned Branch took a step back.

"But, you're right, SIR! Your good friend Smith is a major contributor in this city. Besides you and the Mayor do you know who ELSE he contributes to?"

Branch said nothing.

"Your good friends Councilmen Jones, Shaw and Harris. I have their campaign records right HERE!"

Casey slammed the palm of her hand on a manila folder. Her force was such that it lifted her nameplate off her desk for a millisecond. A chopstick rolled off the edge of the desk onto the floor.

"You did WHA—"

"Do you KNOW what your good friends Councilmen Jones, Shaw and Harris have in common?" asked Casey interrupting and ignoring Branch's exclamation.

Branch had no answer.

"All three of them voted for the RIDICULOUS motion to cut the salary of our police to twenty-five thousand a year. TWENTY—"

Casey's first pounded her desk

"FIVE— "

Casey's fist slammed into her desk again.

"THOUSAND—"

Another loud, forceful slam.

"A YEAR!"

This time, it was the turn of her nameplate to fall off her desk. Branch had taken another step backwards.

"So GO AHEAD, Arthur! GO AHEAD, and pull me off this case! I dare you!"

Branch took another step back. Casey was standing up now.

"Pull me off this case, and I swear, I will take your campaign records, and that of your friends, and I will make damn sure that John Augustus Smith's contributions to all of you is on the front of EVERY newspaper in this CITY!"

"B-but…" stammered Branch "There's…nothing…wrong with that…that's how politics works…everyone knows that."

"Yes, everyone knows that! And everyone knows that Jones, Shaw and Harris voted to put our police on starvation wages. How do you think that'll make you look come election time, Arthur?"

"Wha-what?"

"What do you think it will do to your campaign when you are associated with Jones, Shaw and Harris, Arthur? Hm? How do you think all those police officers are going to react at the polls? That's at LEAST fifty thousand votes against you, my friend! Not to mention all those concerned citizens whose lives will be in danger because only Beavis and Butthead will want to patrol our streets for twenty-five thousand a year!"

"You can't make that stick to me!" Branch had somehow regained the ability to form complete sentences.

"Maybe not, but I sure as hell am going to have LOT of fun TRYING!"

The game of hard-eyed chicken continued a little longer. Then, Branch broke, clearing his throat.

"Alright, ALRIGHT! I'll leave you on the case."

A smile broke across Casey's face.

"Thank you! Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Just take the death penalty off the table. You know there hasn't been an execution in this State, even after 1994."

"I guess I can do that for you."

"And it wouldn't hurt if you listened to what Smith had to say. He called me, and his client is ready to sing…"

Branch almost stepped back again. There was a sudden flash of anger in Casey's eyes, and she leaned forward. But she simply reached for the handset of her phone, and hit the speed dial.

"Captain? Casey Novak here. Could you meet me at the hospital in an hour?"

Casey replaced the handset.

"I KNOW he's ready to sing, Arthur! Smith told me that himself."

Casey stepped around her desk and headed for her closet. In half stride, she stopped as in afterthought, turned back to her desk, and extracted the two top sheets from the manila folder.

"HERE!" Casey thumped the two sheets on Branch's chest. "I would never have leaked your campaign records to the media anyway."

Branch hurriedly grasped at the sheets as Casey withdrew her hand.

"I suppose I should be thankful you still have some shreds of loyalty."

"Oh, loyalty has nothing to do with it." Casey said with a smile as she put the manila folder in her briefcase. She did not explain further, leaving Branch to twist in the wind another few seconds.

"I don't like your politics, Arthur. But I like Judge Bland's chronic halitosis even less!"

"Hi Liv! Are you up for two more visitors?"

"Casey, Cap! Hi! C'mon in!"

Casey and Cragen entered Liv's room. Elliot made to get up and offer his chair to Casey, but she waved him down, indicating that he should stay seated. Casey went to the other side of Liv's bed, and took her hand.

"How're you doing, honey?"

"Sore…but happy to see you guys."

Casey smiled. Liv managed to smile back, for a moment.

"I have a feeling that this isn't just a social call."

"What gave us away?"

"It's three p.m. You have your briefcase and you managed to get the Captain to come with you."

"I'm glad to see you haven't lost your edge." commented Cragen. Liv smiled at him.

The smile disappeared from Casey's face.

"You're right. This isn't a social call. The animal who did this to you is offering to sing…"

"Like…what?"

"Like the location of ten other bodies if I don't strap him down to the gurney."

Olivia's eyes widened.

"Elliot told me you asked for the death penalty. I didn't believe him, but…you really did that?"

"Yes."

"Apart from the fact that what he did to me isn't a capital crime…why?"

"After Milan Zegrin attacked me last year, you were there for me, Liv. You were there when I woke up. You were there to hold my hand. You were there to shame me back to going to PT when I had just about given up. All of you were."

Casey looked up to Elliot, and back to Cragen.

Liv squeezed Casey's hand. Casey squeezed back.

"Casey, I'm touched by your loyalty. But I would never ask you to put yourself in a position just for my sake."

"I know you wouldn't, Liv…"

Casey looked down.

"He won't talk unless I give him twenty."

Liv pondered this.

"I can get him for twenty-five to life with no possibility of parole, Liv."

"But, those ten bodies…their families…"

"I know, I know. Branch told me the same thing. So did Elliot and the Captain. But, I couldn't go through with it without your approval."

"Take the deal, Casey. I would if I was in your place."

"You're sure…"

"Positive."

A tear streaked down Casey's cheek.

"Take it with a clear conscience, honey. It's the only thing to do."

"Okay, Liv. Excuse me…"

Casey was crying now. She turned towards the door. Elliot went after her.

"Casey…" Elliot called out once they were outside Liv's room.

Casey turned to him.

"It's alright, Elliot…I'm fine…It's just…"

"Seems to me I heard that before, only it was coming out of my mouth."

"Ya-ha!" Casey half-chuckled as she made to wipe away her tears.

Elliot offered her his handkerchief.

"Thanks."

Elliot put a gentle hand on her arm.

"I'm fine, really! It was just too much all of a sudden."

"I know, Casey." Elliot squeezed her arm. "Listen, even though looking to execute that scumbag is nuts, Liv appreciates your loyalty. We all do."

"Thank you, Elliot!"

They looked at each other for a few moments. Then, Casey reached down into her briefcase, unzipped a compartment and pulled out the manila folder she took from her desk. She handed the folder to Elliot

"Here. Give this to your DEA delegate." she told him, referring to the Detectives' Endowment Association, the union that represents NYPD Detectives just as the PBA represents uniformed officers.

"What's this?"

"The campaign finance records of certain Councilmen who took contributions from John Augustus Smith."

"And?"

"You'll find that these Councilmen also happened to vote 'Yea' on the idiotic twenty-five K salary."

The implications quickly dawned on Elliot.

"Casey…Smith's client is about to sing for us…isn't this unethical?"

A smirk brightened Casey's face.

"Since when has that stopped YOU, De-TECTIVE?"

Elliot smirked back.

"Not since I started hanging around you, COUN-se-LOR!"

Casey playfully punched Elliot in the bicep, hard enough so that he almost dropped the folder.


End file.
